The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 19 We are all disciples of Xunzi
Xunzi had many disciples, perhaps even he didn't know how many disciples he had. If everyone who read Xunzi's works regarded him as a teacher.

Then, in another two thousand years... Xunzi's disciples will surely be spread all over the world. If there are Xunzi's disciples all over the world, their number will indeed be countless.

As a disciple of Xunzi, it is extremely normal to have such ideals.

Three hours passed after Shusun Tong left before military reports arrived from Shangyan Mountain.

Fusu looked through the contents of the urgent report. Shusun Tong had arrived at Shangyan Mountain and had a smooth journey. It was General Zhang Han who personally brought him into the village.

General Zhang Han was a man with a heart full of loyalty.

Fusu hoped that someone like Zhang Han could influence Shusun Tong.

The next day, Prime Minister Li Si brought Zhang Cang to Gaoquan Palace.

Tian An came to greet him personally, and said with a smile: "Recently, the young master has been reading books and raising fish, and he has also raised some bamboo and pine trees."

Li Si followed Tian An and asked, "I heard that the young master sent Shusun Tong to Shangyan Mountain?"

"Hmm..." Tian An nodded and explained, "The young master selected three hundred disciples for Shusun Tong. Shusun Tong was so grateful that he went to Shangyan Mountain to teach them."

Li Si didn't care about the hidden story. Since it was arranged by the young master, there was naturally nothing to worry about.

When I first walked into the palace, I didn’t feel that there were many eunuchs and palace maids here, but the closer I got to Gaoquan Palace, the more people there were.

This gave Zhang Cang a very strange feeling. The number of palace maids here exceeded the limit. Perhaps it was because this was the former residence of Empress Dowager Huayang?

Zhang Cang kept his head down along the way, observing the place with his peripheral vision. The palace people here were talking and laughing, and everyone seemed to be living a pretty good life?

The harmony and laughter in Gaoquan Palace puzzled Zhang Cang. There were so many palace servants here, why could these people live so happily?

Following behind the prime minister, Zhang Cang heard the conversation between the prime minister and the old eunuch, all of which were about the young master.

Inside the hall, Fusu was reading a book with two pots of plum blossoms beside him.

In the eyes of the palace maids in the palace, the young master probably felt that this winter was too cold and even the plum blossoms did not bloom, so he carried the plum blossoms that were half a person's height into the palace.

The young master must be looking forward to the plum blossoms blooming, and so everyone in Gaoquan Palace is also looking forward to the plum blossoms blooming.

As long as the young master is happy, everyone in Gaoquan Palace will be happy.

Fusu read Confucius' books and understood his Spring and Autumn style of writing. Even later generations were fascinated by the stories written in this style.

"The Prime Minister has arrived."

Fusu looked up and said with a smile, "Teacher, have you had dinner?"

Li Si bowed and said, "I still miss your fish soup."

"Okay, let's have fish soup today."

Before Li Si had the chance to introduce the people around him, he was dragged by the young master to kill fish. He was a little frightened, but he also felt that the friendship between master and disciple had become deeper.

Zhang Cang was left standing alone in the hall, facing the two plum trees in silence.

It looked like these two trees had just been dug out of the soil. Zhang Cang sighed and thought it was an honor to be introduced to the young master by the Prime Minister.

Zhang Cang thought he had no other wishes, but he noticed the bamboo slips on the side. These bamboo slips were piled together and contained the classics of various philosophers, including those of Confucius and Mencius.

Zhang Cang picked up one of the volumes and began to read it while standing there.

When the voice came again, Zhang Cang looked up again and saw that the young master and the prime minister had returned, and behind them were palace maids holding pottery bowls.

And the two plum trees are still in front of me.

Fusu smiled and said, "Teacher, Censor Zhang, please take a seat quickly."

Each of the three people had a bowl of fish soup, a pot of fish meat, and a piece of pancake. This was their breakfast today.

Fusu said, "Censor Zhang, try it."

Li Si, who was sitting on the other side, picked up the ceramic bowl and drank a mouthful of fish soup with great enjoyment.

Fusu saw that Zhang Cang was still hesitant, but the bowl was already at his lips, so Zhang Cang drank it all in one breath. He even put the ginger slices in the bowl into his mouth and was chewing them.

Li Si said, "Since the beginning of summer this year, Chunyu Yue and Zhou Qingchen have repeatedly advised you to seek a different teacher. You cannot just listen to my advice."

As the prime minister was speaking, Zhang Cang was still eating with his head down. He handed the earthenware bowl to the eunuch beside him, and the eunuch poured him an extra bowl of fish soup.

Zhang Cang was still chewing the bread in his mouth. After the fish soup and fish meat entered his mouth, he even wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Tian An stood aside. This censor who was introduced by the prime minister looked like an honest man who only knew how to eat.

"I brought Zhang Cang to meet you, sir, because I want him to teach you."

Hearing this, Zhang Cang, who was stuffing a cake into his mouth, was suddenly stunned. He stopped chewing and looked at Li Si in disbelief. His eyes were particularly innocent, as if to say that you, Li Si, didn't tell me about this before you came.

Li Si introduced Zhang Cang, saying, "This is my classmate Zhang Cang. He has loved reading since he was young and studied with me under Xunzi."

Fusu bowed and said, "In the future, I hope the teacher will give me more guidance."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cang quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and saluted hurriedly and frantically, saying, "Your servant Zhang Cang dare not accept the title of teacher."

Zhang Cang looked to be about thirty years old. Fusu said, "I often read Han Fei's books. Although I have never met Han Fei in person, I personally think that Han Fei is my teacher. Later, the Prime Minister became my teacher."

Zhang Cang still bowed and lowered his head in a very respectful manner.

"Since I read Han Fei's books and have the Prime Minister's guidance, I am also a student of Xunzi."

Zhang Cang still kept his head down, feeling extremely confused.

Li Si said, "Sir, Zhang Cang is very knowledgeable and has read all the classics of various schools of thought."

Fusu added: "In the future, I hope the teacher will give me more guidance."

"I dare not instruct you, sir."

As it was getting afternoon, Li Si thought of the many things he had to do at home, so he didn't mention Li You, as if he had forgotten that he had such a son.

After finishing his breakfast, Li Si took his leave and prepared to leave with Zhang Cang.

Fusu personally escorted the two men out of the palace and exchanged a few words of greeting.

Taking cue from the Prime Minister's gaze, Zhang Cang hurriedly bowed and said, "May I ask, sir, are you reading Confucius' Spring and Autumn Annals and Mencius?"

Fusu nodded in understanding and said, "Xunzi once said, 'The ruler is like a boat, and the people are like water.' And Mencius once said, 'The people are the most important, the country is second, and the ruler is the least important.'"

Zhang Cang nodded slightly.

"Although our teachers Xunzi and Mencius lived nearly a hundred years apart, their views on governing a country and governing its people are very similar."

At this point, Fusu explained, "I am a prince of Qin. I need to learn. Learning requires a down-to-earth approach, extensive reading and inquiry." Zhang Cang bowed again and said, "I will return to consult the classics and give you an answer."

In this way, Li Si finally had a satisfied smile, and finally left with Zhang Cang in satisfaction.

Fusu returned to the palace and tidied up the scattered books on the table. It was such a good deal to exchange a bowl of fish soup for a teacher.

Tian An helped to clean up. He whispered, "The Prime Minister wants to help you. He introduced his classmates to you. In the future, the Prime Minister will also introduce his connections and his classmates to you."

Li Si was a very loyal person, at least he was extremely loyal to the First Emperor. This loyalty was related to his lifelong ideals and his lifelong beliefs.

And now, the eldest son of the First Emperor, the prince of Qin, can become the continuation of Li Si's ideal, so he will naturally give everything he has to the prince.

Now I am recommending you to my classmates, and in the future Li Si will entrust his life and property to you.

Seeing that the young master didn't say anything, Tian An thought he had said something wrong and quickly took a step back to salute.

Fusu placed the bamboo slips on the bookshelf, reached out and patted him on the back, saying, "Back then, when my great-grandmother was dying, you were the only one who worked tirelessly to clean up everything inside and out. Now that my great-grandmother has passed away, this Xianyang Palace... apart from my father, you are the person closest to me."

"Besides me, who else can you tell these words to?" Fusu whispered, "It's okay, don't worry about saying the wrong thing. In my heart, you are my elder."

Tian An turned his back and wiped his tears with his sleeves.

Until nightfall, the two plum trees remained in the palace. The young master had no intention of moving them away. The people in Gaoquan Palace were all looking forward to their blooming together with the young master.

Late at night, when the Xianyang Palace returned to silence, Tian An came to the First Emperor's bedroom.

In the bedroom, candlelight was bright, and the First Emperor was reading the report sent from the north. After Meng Tian arrived in the north, he drove away several Xiongnu tribes. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and the plan of relocating people to guard the border was also proceeding in an orderly manner.

Tian An walked into the hall and silently picked up the bamboo slips that had fallen on the ground.

"Did Li Si go to see Fusu today?"

"The Prime Minister also brought Zhang Cang to meet the Master."

Ying Zheng nodded and asked, "How is Fusu these days?"

"Your Majesty, the young master is doing well. When he was young, Queen Mother Huayang said he was the most gifted child she had ever met. He didn't play with his peers and was very lonely, but he was very sensible. After the Queen Mother passed away, the young master seemed even more lonely. Despite his loneliness, he is an extremely strong and wise child."

Ying Zheng raised his head slightly, his eyes briefly leaving the bamboo slips, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, saying, "I understand."

With just a simple sentence, Ying Zheng once again withdrew his gaze and looked at the military newspaper in his hand.

Tian An glanced at the First Emperor, tears still in his eyes.

In this Xianyang Palace, the First Emperor and Prince Fusu were in the same situation. Both father and son were equally lonely and strong.

The next day, the palace maid washed the young master's clothes and hung them in the back hall to dry.

Fusu happened to pass by and heard them gossiping in low voices. They were talking about how Tian An went to meet the First Emperor late last night, and after returning, the old man cried for a long time in front of the tablet of Empress Dowager Huayang.

Tian An is an old man with rich emotions, sentimental and kind to others.

It was a rare sunny day, and early in the morning Tian An was very energetic and ordered hundreds of palace servants in Gaoquan Palace to start a general cleaning of the entire Gaoquan Palace. All the things that could be moved were moved out and washed, and the young master's tables and chairs and several large boxes of books were taken out to dry in the sun.

Tian An said loudly: "Hurry up! If we don't take it out to dry now, it will get moldy after the twelfth lunar month."

"Clatter..." Piles of bamboo slips were moved out, and then spread on the ground, hung on the steps, or hung under the eaves. Bamboo slips were dried in every place that could be dried.

At this time, Gaoquan Palace is not suitable for staying, and the outside of the palace is full of things.

Fusu, who had nothing to do, came to the Censorate.

The Censorate is close to the Prime Minister's Mansion. The person who usually presides over the work here is Feng Quji, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty. The Censorate is the Deputy Prime Minister's territory.

Since I have chosen Zhang Cang as my teacher, even if the ceremony is not grand, I am still a teacher, and I have earned it in exchange for a bowl of fish soup.

It was during the recess period, and there was usually no one here. Zhang Cang was indeed not here. Fusu opened the door and saw another person.

The man was wearing an official uniform, and a ray of sunlight was shining through the crack in the door.

His hair and beard were a little messy, and his eye sockets were sunken, as if he had not slept well for a long time.

Fusu stood at the door and confirmed again that there was really no one else in the Censorate before he walked in.

The man bowed and said, "I am Cheng Miao, your servant, and I pay my respects to you, sir."

Fusu said, "No need to be so polite. Now, may I have my meal?"

"Your Majesty..." Cheng Miao hesitated and said, "Your Majesty brought some dry food."

Fusu took out a cake from his sleeve and handed it to him, saying, "This is a cake I just made today. It's still warm."

Cheng Miao added, "I dare not accept your invitation..."

"It's just a piece of cake, nothing special." Fusu explained, "I originally came here today to look for my teacher Zhang Cang, but unfortunately he's not here today. I wonder if Censor Cheng has any contact with Zhang Cang?"

"Zhang Cang and I are good friends."

"I have a letter, and I hope Censor Cheng can help deliver it."

"I accept your order."

Fusu then found a place to sit in the Censorate, picked up a new scroll of bamboo slips, picked up a pen and began to write, writing down the confusion he had in reading, and asked Cheng Miao to send it to Zhang Cang.

Cheng Miao took the bamboo slips and continued to treat them respectfully.

Then, Fusu was looking through the documents. The Censorate of the Qin Dynasty was a very special place. It was more like a case library, where various confidential files were kept.

Fusu read and said, "Father wants to build a bridge across the Xiwei River. I need some books on bridge construction."

"That's why I'm asking the teacher. I hope Censor Cheng won't be offended."

Cheng Miao was still respectful, holding the cake given by the young master in his hand and not daring to move. The cake was still a little warm and was emitting a charming wheat aroma. The cake was really fragrant.

These are all documents written by the frontline officials of the Qin Dynasty.

The local documents were transmitted to Xianyang, and then it would be seen how Xianyang would send officials to the local areas.

These documents are different from the files you usually see in the library. The files in the library have been sorted and summarized.

The files here were written by real front-line officials. Understanding the exchanges of these documents is like watching the operating procedures of this state machinery.

The documents of the Censorate are very worth learning.

Meanwhile, Cheng Miao had already stood in a corner. He stroked his beard and ate a piece of bread with a confused look in his eyes, probably wondering what he should do, what to say, and why the young master hadn't left yet...

(End of this chapter)